More Or Less Technology In The Classroom? We’re Asking The Wrong Question by Cathy N DavidsonThere’s a common debate that exists related to technology and learning. Simply put, this debate could be described as “Does technology help or hinder our ability to learn?” As this article explores, that’s the wrong question. Technology is increasingly part of how we live, and those changes should be reflected in the ways that we educate and train. While the context of this post is classroom-based instruction, the lessons explored extend well outside those walls.

Can The iPhone Change The Way We Live Again? by Mark WilsonThis week Apple is expected to release a new set of iPhones and potentially some other exciting technologies. But the true upgrade that Apple has planned that could be the next huge leap in terms of how technology affects our everyday lives may not be hardware; it may just be a software called ARKit, which is being released in iOS11. ARKit may be what truly pushes augmented reality into the mainstream, bringing with it a normalcy that could boost the use of AR for learning and training. This article provides some interesting perspectives on the potential, and limitations, of ARKit.

The cultural differences between East and West, according to one artist by Annalisa MerelliVisuals continue to be a major tool to convey information and ideas. Where visuals are often used to help support written words, they are also used on their own to convey stories and data,
as evident by the increased use of infographics in recent years. Creating visuals like infographics isn’t easy, and is a skill that may be best learned by learning from examples. This post doesn’t explore complex infographics – it’s quite the opposite. This post explores a number of pieces of art that, despite their simplicity, do an incredible job of conveying a complex thought.

Google Is Giving Away Its Best Tools for Managers Absolutely Free by Jessica StillmanI share this post for two reasons. First, the tools referenced in this post can be very helpful to new (or even experienced) managers. More importantly, this post is another great example of resources that can be used to curate content for learning and development programs rather than assuming that everything needs to be created.

Trends: STEM Game-based Learning to See Surge in Immersive Tech by Sri RavipatiThis post explores the intersection of two major trends within the learning technology space: Game-Based Learning and AR/VR. The growth in augmented reality and virtual technology technologies are enabling a parallel growth to immersive learning experiences including game-based experiences. While this post explores the topic and research within the K-12 sector, the trends and technologies being mentioned have applications to higher-education and corporate learning environments as well.

Why 1 Meteorologist’s Hurricane Irma Coverage Landed Him a “Best Weatherman Ever” Trophy by Perri KoneckyThere’s been plenty of news coverage of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in recent weeks. We’ve all seen countless images of reporters and meteorologists out in the storm, covering its development. But one meteorologist’s reports stood above the rest and went viral. This post shares the video as well as some of the responses from people praising it. As you watch the video, consider how the information is being conveyed and structured in a way that calms and educates those in a highly stressful life-and-death situation. There’s plenty to learn about how we shape educational narratives from this video.

Help Those Affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

As I write this post Hurricane Irma is making its way across Florida, the second devastating hurricane to hit the US and Caribbean in recent weeks. These areas need our help. Please consider making a donation to the Red Cross or to another organization that is providing much-needed aid to affected areas. Accuweather has a very useful post that lists a number of reputable charities you can support, as well as providing links to tools you can use to vet any charity before you support it.

David Kelly is the Executive Vice President and Executive Director for The eLearning Guild’s face-to-face events and conferences. Prior to joining The eLearning Guild he has been an internal learning and performance consultant and training director for over 10 years in both the financial services and non-profit sectors. David has served as a local board member and national adviser to ASTD Chapters. He is active in the learning community, and often speaks at industry conferences and events. In 2011, the eLearning Council voted him one of the 10 most influential eLearning bloggers for his blog, “Misadventures in Learning.” He is also known for his curation efforts, especially related to conferences and events for learning and performance professionals.

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Welcome to the eLearning Guild Blog

TWIST is the official blog of The eLearning Guild. Posts on this blog will offer insights, ideas, perspectives, and discussion on the current trends in the learning industry, the technologies used to support learning and performance, happenings at the Guild, tips for professional development, and much more. Each post will include the personal ‘twist’ of the writers, including members of the Guild team and guest bloggers from the Guild community.